


Ugly Christmas Sweaters

by Can_o_tuna_balism



Series: 12 Fics of Winter [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aangst, Azula/Mai (unrequited), Based on a Tumblr Post, F/F, F/M, Tumblr Prompt, Ugly Christmas Sweaters, Winter Collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 04:11:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13205685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Can_o_tuna_balism/pseuds/Can_o_tuna_balism
Summary: A Holiday AU in which Zuko wears ugly Christmas sweaters for Mai's amusement and Zuko struggles to hide past feelings. Katara comes back to town after not seeing Zuko for two years and Katara decides to bring Zuko a gift knowing full well he’ll say he hates it.Based off of a post by @witterprompts on Tumblr: "I chose this gift knowing what kind of person you are. I know you’re lying when you say you hate it- which, by the way, is super rude of you!"





	Ugly Christmas Sweaters

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously I don't own any of this content or the characters. I don't own the idea for the prompt (that belongs to @witterprompts at Tumblr.com)

“Zuko, just put on the sweater.”

 

Zuko dodged out of Mai’s reach, shaking his head. “No way. Not this year. Not again.”

 

He tried not to have flashbacks to the year before when Mai has forced him into a sweater covered in minions doing cheeky, slightly suggestive poses with candy canes and present boxes. Or the year before that when she had bought him a Christmas sweater with a snowman on it that looked like the snowman was attempting to claw its way out of his stomach. Or the year before that when she had decided it would be hilarious if the two of them wore a conjoined sweater to a Christmas party Ty Lee had invited them to. Or the year before that….

 

This year, the winning ugly Christmas sweater seemed to be one with three reindeer having sex in front of Santa’s workshop in a snowglobe (obviously).

 

There was no way in hell he was letting Mai put him in that sweater. Maybe he could burn it?

 

“If you don’t put on the sweater now we’ll be late for Ty Lee’s party!”

 

“Wait, that’s tonight?” He’d completely forgotten.

 

“I’ve been telling you for weeks,” Mai deadpanned, putting a hand on her hip. “Did you seriously forget?”

 

He shrugged, taking a few steps backward towards the bathroom.

 

“Yeah, but if we’re going to a party then I guess I’ll have to take a shower. Can’t go smelling like smoke.” He winked at her. Mai had been outside smoking earlier and Zuko had given her a kiss that had turned into a little bit more than just your average ‘welcome home peck on the lips.’ Suffice to say, he’d been covered in cigarette ashes.

 

“Fine. But you’re wearing the sweater I got you to the party.”

 

“No way in hell am I wearing that thing,” he said over his shoulder as he got into the shower.

  
  
- 

 

Zuko ended up wearing the sweater to the party.

 

“I hate this sweater,” he has said when they’d pulled up to the party.

 

“Really? I don’t hate it.”

 

“That’s a lie and you know it,” he grumbled.

 

“Oof. You got me. But I don’t hate you,” she leaned over and have him a kiss on the cheek before opening the car door. “You ready?”

 

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” He got out of the car and held her hand as they walked up the driveway. Ringing the doorbell, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, saying, “I don’t hate you either.”

 

“Mai! Zuko! So glad you guys could make it!” Ty Lee was suddenly there in the doorway. She was wearing a circle skirt that moved with her gracefully as she spun around and said, “Follow me, guys. The party has already started!”

 

“Nice sweater by the way, Zuko,” she said, giggling.

 

Zuko sighed. Today was going to be a long night.

 

“Oh, chin up, Zuko. This is going to be fun.”

 

“Alright, but just remember, you owe me.”

 

“Of course.”

 

Now Zuko was hiding in the corner, trying to go unnoticed. When they had arrived, it had been only a handful of people, but as the night had worn on, more and more people had shown up. The apartment was practically packed now, and for some reason someone had thought it was a good idea to blast trap remixes of Christmas carols over the speakers Ty Lee had set up in her living room. Zuko would have tracked down the jackass in charge of the playlist to give them a piece of his mind, but he was too busy hiding from his sister.

 

He’d seen Azula traipse into the party half an hour ago and he’d been diligently avoiding her. In his defense, the last time he’d had a conversation with his sister she had tried to punch him in the face and, when that had failed, she’d spit on his shoes. That had been three months ago.

 

He knew her animosity mainly arose from him and Mai dating. She had never forgiven him for hooking up with one of her best friends. It didn’t help that Zuko was fairly certain his sister had had a crush on Mai at some point or another. Maybe she still did. He wasn’t sure.

 

When Mai had asked him out four years ago, Azula had burst into a rage so terrible that Zuko had not seen her for a month. His uncle had been worried sick when she didn’t message him, but a message from Ty Lee had confirmed that Azula had been camping out at her apartment. It had been quite the scene, though, when Zuko finally saw her again. Chairs had been thrown, people had almost died. Just your average Azula freak out. 

 

Zuko was looking not to relive that experience.

 

“Zuko! Hey!” An annoyingly chipper voice called through the crowd. Zuko turned to see Aang weaving through the crowd toward him, a smile on his face.

 

“Aang. How are you doing?”

 

“Good,” Aang said, stumbling a bit. “Hey, did you know there’s this awesome punch in the kitchen?”

 

He held up his cup for proof. It was full of a dark red liquid that smelled quite heavily of liquor.

 

“I thought you didn’t drink…” Zuko grabbed the cup from Aang’s hands and took a swig. _Yep_ , he thought, _this kid’s on a one way ticket to drunksville._

 

“I don’t.” Aang leaned against the wall for support.

 

“But you do know this is alcohol right?” Zuko asked, handing the cup back to Aang.

 

“Yeah, of course, but I needed something to take the edge off.”

 

“Wait. How were you taking the edge of before?” Zuko raised one eyebrow at the normally happy go lucky boy standing next to him.

 

“Meditation.”

 

“Of course.” Zuko caught a glimpse of Azula through the crowd. Time to go. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have a demon to avoid.”

 

Slinking through the crowd blocking his way to the stairs, Zuko climbed the stairs to the second floor. He needed some peace and quiet. Maybe there was a room he could duck into?

 

Ty Lee’s place was a duplex apartment. Someone had taken a house and converted it into two different apartments, each one with two levels. It was a nice place all things considered, and Ty Lee’s neighbours were almost never home so her raging parties never really became a problem. And when they did, well, Ty Lee seemed to have an inhuman knack for getting out of trouble that Zuko could only wish for.

 

The upper level was one long room with a glass wall at the end that opened onto a balcony. Stepping out, Zuko leaned against the balcony railing, inhaling deeply. Pulling out a cigarette and his lighter, he inhaled long and slow. He was just disappearing into his thoughts, the music from downstairs pumping up through the floorboards into his chest, when the balcony door swung open behind him and someone grabbed his shoulder.

 

Zuko jumped, expecting Azula to be behind him, but instead it was Mai. She raised her eyebrows and gestured to his hand, a cigarette already dangling from her lips. Zuko lit it for her.

 

“Thanks,” she sighed after a few drags. “Having fun?”

 

“I mean, if avoiding Azula can be considered fun, then yes.”

 

“She seems better. I don’t think you have to worry. Honestly? I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t even try to spit on you this time, that’s how good of a mood she’s in.”

 

“I still don’t know how you manage to talk to her after all she’s done.”

 

Mai leaned against the railings and stared down at the people in the backyard below. Someone had brought hot dogs and was grilling them while people milled about. Zuko tried to pretend his stomach wasn’t growling loudly.

 

“She’s just hurt.”

 

“But even after all this, you’re still talking to her? Why?”

 

Mai turned to him, her voice unexpectedly sharp when she said, “She’s still my friend, Zuko. She was my friend first, she still is my friend, and I think it’s important that she has something to keep her grounded. Especially after all the stuff that happened with your parents. And I don’t know if I feel comfortable with you talking about her like she’s some kind of crazed monster.”

 

“Whatever.”

 

Silence fell between the two of them.

 

The silence was broken when someone stumbled through the door behind them and nearly flipped over the railing.

 

“SHu-ko. Mai. Hey,” Aang grumbled, holding onto the railing for dear life. Mai gave Zuko a look that clearly said, _You’re on your own here_ , and then disappeared back downstairs. He wasn’t surprised. Mai had never been a fan of Aang. _He’s too bubbly_ , she’d told him once. _How is it even humanly possible to be that fucking optimistic and friendly all the time?_

 

“Shit dude, you’re wasted.” Zuko tried to hold Aang up, but he’d already slumped down to the floor, his back against the railing.

 

He was about to make a joke - something about Aang being way cooler than he had originally thought - when he noticed that Aang was crying.

 

“Aang?” Zuko looked around for anyone, literally anyone other than him, to comfort Aang. He wasn’t good at this kind of thing. Drunk people he could deal with. Other people’s emotions? That was a whole other ball game. Sighing, he crouched down next to Aang and placed his hand on the other’s shoulder. “Do you… uh……. Do you want to talk about it?”

 

At this point Aang had progressed into full on ugly sobbing, snot dripping down his nose and getting into his mouth. It was all Zuko could do not to barf all over Aang. Turning his face away, he said to the air, “Do you want a tissue?”

 

After a pause, Aang managed to choke out, “No thank you.”

 

_Well, then I’ve got nothing,_ Zuko thought. _This is just awkward, Zuko. Make up an excuse about having to go to the bathroom and then run. He’ll be fine._

 

But another voice in Zuko’s head - probably his damn conscience, was telling him that that wasn’t the right thing to do.

 

Turning back to Aang, still not looking at his face, he asked, “Is there anything I can do?”

 

Aang looked down at his hands. Silence stretched between them for what seemed like forever before Aang wiped the tears from his face and mumbled, “It’s Katara…. She’s coming back to town.”

 

_Katara?_

 

He wasn’t sure if he’d heard Aang right. He also felt extremely lightheaded and was glad that he was also leaning with his back against the balcony railing.

 

“What did you say?”

 

Wordlessly, Aang handed Zuko his cellphone.

 

Peering down at it, Zuko noticed that Aang had opened it on a series of text messages from an unknown number.

 

Each damning text confirmed what Aang had already told him. Katara. Katara was back.

 

“I have to go.”

 

“No, wait!” Aang’s hand gripped the sleeve of Zuko’s shirt in a vice grip. “Please, don’t leave me alone. I can’t be alone.”

 

“Let go of me, Aang.”

 

Pulling his sleeve out of Aang’s grip, Zuko marched towards the stairs. He needed to get as far away from there as possible. He needed to get Mai and go. And then, unlike Aang, he needed to be alone.

 

“Zuko!” There was something about Aang’s tone that made him stop in his tracks. He turned, his blood turning to ice as Aang said plainly, “Zuko, she told me. She told me about everything. I know… I know about you two. I know she left me for you and I know that you broke her heart.”

 

Then Aang leaned over the railing and threw up.

 

The situation would have been almost comical if Zuko’s heart wasn’t racing a million miles an hour, attempting to burst its way out of his chest.

 

Someone below the balcony screamed as puke rained down upon them from above. Pulling Aang back from the railing, Zuko urgently mumbled, “C’mon. I’ll drive you home.”

 

Pulling out his phone, he sent Mai a quick text: **Driving Aang home because he threw up everywhere. Taking his car. You good to drive home?**

 

Two seconds later, Mai texted him back: **God, of course he did. I’ll be fine. I’m heading home soon anyway. Text me when you get to Aang’s. Be safe.**

 

- 

 

The ride to Aang’s house was relatively uneventful. Zuko only had to stop once to let Aang throw up out of the car because for some reason Aang insisted on not going into a gas station to puke.  

 

He’d been worried that Aang would puke on the elevator ride up to his apartment. Aang lived with Toph in a two bedroom apartment, but they were on the 10th floor. Zuko was glad the elevator wasn’t out of order because carrying Aang upstairs would have been a pain.

 

Ten minutes later and Zuko had handed Aang off to Toph who had been busy working on an assignment and hadn’t been able to go to the party. He fist bumped Toph as she pulled Aang into their apartment.

 

“Come on twinkle toes,” he heard her say. “Time for bed.”

 

On the way down in the elevator, Zuko called a cab.

 

By the time he got home, Mai was already in bed, fast asleep. Quickly changing, Zuko crawled under the covers and scooted up next to him.

 

He couldn’t shake what Aang had said to him, though. The accusatory tone to his voice when he’d said that Zuko had broken Katara’s heart.

 

_You’re wrong, Aang._ He turned over, his back to Mai. _I didn’t break her heart… she broke mine._

 

As he drifted off to sleep, a tear rolled down his cheek. The last thing he felt before everything went dark was Mai’s arm around his waist as she rolled over in her sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm looking to make this year the queerest of all. If any of you have suggestions for a fic, I'm planning on writing one off queer fanfics once per month for the next year. Please comment down below if you have any suggestions for pairings, prompts, etc. I'll do my best to create some quality gay shit TM.


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